Calling All Spaniards

[formerly multipurpose]

Hi my friend and I live in Sacramento California but my friend, I call him Hombre, grew up in Madrid Spain and I am trying to talk him into doing the Camino Frances, but he keeps on obsessing about bedbugs and people snoring and farting in the Alberges and saying that he can't do it because of that. We go hiking here in Northern California all the time and he is a strong hiker. I tell him, dude it's your home country , just do the Camino. His aunt in Barcelona even said she would pay his air fair and all his Spanish relatives want him to do it also. Even his Spanish mother and his wife want him to do it. So I'm hoping that some Spaniards could come on the forum and try to talk him into it. AND USE SPANISH! I will show him the posts and maybe that will convince him.

 

[oursonpolaire]

Tell him that he doesn't have to sleep in albergues. There are pensions, hostales, fondas, casas rurales, and hotels, all along the route. That way, the only flatulence or snoring he needs to worry about will be his own.

 

[wayfarer]

It sounds to me like he just doesn't want to do this right now and is maybe using the things you mentioned as an excuse. This is a place and decision he has to come to himself IMO.

 

[tillyjones]

Unusual notion to me to talk someone into doing something they don't want to do. People tend to walk the Camino for themselves, not for someone else. Maybe the people that want him to do it, should do it themselves first?

 

[cher99840]

I agree with the previous comments that perhaps it isn't for him right now. If you were my friend I would want you to respect my decisions.

 

[Mikel Olivares]

Hola, dile a tu "Hombre" que parece que no se ha criado en Madrid. ¿Miedo a las chinches, ronquidos , pedos? Vamos hombre, no digas eso. Es parte del Camino, y siempre lo recordarás como una de las partes mas jocosas del mismo.
Te puedo asegurar que si lo haces, no te arrepentirás en la vida de ello.
Te espero en Pamplona para cuando pases por aquí. Nos haremos unas risas juntos, y nos echaremos unos potes por lo viejo.
¡Que no se diga!

 

[Pelegrin]

Como dice Mikel no te vas a arrepentir y es posible que como casi todos nosotros en este foro repitas la experiencia en próximos años.
Además si no te gusta ir de albergues hay pensiones y hoteles.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi my friend and I live in Sacramento California but my friend, I call him Hombre, grew up in Madrid Spain and I am trying to talk him into doing the Camino Frances, but he keeps on obsessing about bedbugs and people snoring and farting in the Alberges and saying that he can't do it because of that. We go hiking here in Northern California all the time and he is a strong hiker. I tell him, dude it's your home country , just do the Camino. His aunt in Barcelona even said she would pay his air fair and all his Spanish relatives want him to do it also. Even his Spanish mother and his wife want him to do it. So I'm hoping that some Spaniards could come on the forum and try to talk him into it. AND USE SPANISH! I will show him the posts and maybe that will convince him.

Why convince him??
It's never a good idea to try some one to do something against his will.
When it his time to walk the Camino he wil decide it. Not some one else.

Wish you well,Peter.

 

[notion900]

parece que no se ha criado en Madrid

I love how @Mikel Olivares just weighs in with the most outrageous peer pressure! LOL

 

[Pingüigrino]

Venga Hombre, no seas cobardica. Yo he hecho varios Caminos, he sido hospitalero en varios albergues y jamas he sido picado por chinches ni he visto una viva en el Camino. Pedos, ronquidos, pies malholientes... Si has ido alguna vez a un refugio de montaña, es mucho peor alli. Unos buenos tapones de oidos y solucionado. Te aseguro que ninguna experiencia que hayas tenido anteriormente es igual a esta. Te marca como un hierro al rojo y te engancha como una droga, Por algo será que somos tantos los que volvemos una y otra vez.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

No es asunto mio ni tuyo, decirle a alguien que debe caminar el camino. No es sólo un paseo, es una decisión muy importante, personal. Ser español no es una buena razón para caminar, ya sea - el Camino no pertenece a España!
Deje que su amigo tome su propia decisión. ¡Mientras tanto, camine usted mismo!

 

[JillGat]

If I pretend like I don't want to walk the Camino, will somebody please offer to pay for my airfare?

 

[SYates]

I agree with those that say you should accept his decision not to walk the Camino. Why do you want to pressure him in doing what he doesn't want to do? Just walk alone! Buen Camino, SY

 

[VNwalking]

@formerly multipurpose, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
One thing to consider is this: if he sincerely doesn't want to walk, but ends up giving in to everyone's pressure he will probably have a crummy time. And I guarantee he'll be crummy company. Do you really want to do that to him, your friendship, and yourself?

 

[Mikel Olivares]

You're going to allow me to use Spanish to be able to express well what I want to say.

Por lo que yo entiendo, y perdonar mi desconocimiento de los matices de la lengua inglesa, el escrito de "formerly" tiene un ligero tono de humor, y bastante familiaridad para con "Hombre". Parece ser que él es un buen hiker y no tiene problemas para hacer duras jornadas de excursionismo.
Su único "problema" son los inconvenientes de la vida en "sociedad". Jajajajaja
El Camino de Santiago, no tengo la menor duda, tiene para la mayoría de nosotros un gran componente "Espiritual" pero eso no significa que otras personas ¿También peregrinos? lo hagan por otros motivos; deportivos, culturales, etc. Y no por eso los debemos de tener en menor consideración.
No caigamos en la arrogancia de otorgarnos nosotros mismos el marchamo de "autenticidad"
Por supuesto que "Hombre" hará el Camino si así lo desea independientemente de lo que digamos los demás. Pero que duda cabe que muchas situaciones en la vida solo necesitan un ligero empujón par que se hagan. Estaréis conmigo que a veces nos gusta hacernos rogar un poco.
Y nadas más por el momento.
Anímate "Hombre".

 

[Pingüigrino]

What I understand about Formerly´s post is that his friend, is afraid about bedbugs, "nigth songs" and privacity. What I´m doing is trying to ease him about those disconforms. I assume this man, "Hombre" is old and wise enougth to choose what he want to do or not. I assume too their frienship is strong enougth to endure a simple "I don´t want to walk the Camino, thats all". I assume too Formerly´s post had a bit of humour on it. And specially assume only him and his friend really knows the degree of confidence their relacionship have and can or can´t hold. This is their problem not ours.
If someone ask for help in this forum, I think the rigth thing is to give him what he request, the best way we can. The succes or failure of his actions is just his thing,
Maybe this way of thinking is what make us locals so helpfull in the Camino and make the difference between the Camino on Spain and the Camino on other countryes, I can´t be impartial about this
Maybe is a cultural thing, we don´t usually care others intentios in advance. And older ones neither care about political correctness.

Buen Camino to you, honest people.